Shiv Sena’s activists attack BCCI

MUMBAI: NDTV of India had reported that, “Activists of India’s far-right political group Shiv Sena attacked the Mumbai headquarters of the office Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, just before Pakistan Cri­cket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan was to meet BCCI chief Shashank Manohar to discuss a bilateral series in December.”

“Sena activists crashed through the gates of the office in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium that serves as the headquarters of the BCCI,” according to the report.

The protesters have entered the Manohar’s office and crowded around this desk shouting the slogans against him.

Dhananjay Kulkarni, the Mumbai police Deputy Commissioner told the AFP news that, “Six people are being held in custody and we are registering an offence of rioting,” he added that, “Thirty-five were involved so we are looking to arrest a few more.”

Whereas the protesters have demanded that, “Manohar cancel talks with PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan”, that were planned on Monday in Mumbai.

“Shiv Sena has also threatened to stop Pakistan’s Aleem Dar from officiating in the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa to be played in Mumbai on Sunday”, published on the CricInfo website, said the report.

“Chief Executive of International Cricket Council (ICC) David Richardson has regretted the attack on BCCI office by Shiv Sena extremists,” Radio Pakistan had reported. He said, while addressing the news conference in Dubai that, “the cricket playing nations should promote mutual cooperation.”

After the Shiv Sena activists charged into the BCCI office, the much anticipated meeting between the boards was deferred.

Pakistan and India, both countries have signed the pact to for the six bilateral series in the years between 2015 and 2023, beginning with the Pakistan’s home series in December.

Since 2007, India has not played a bilateral Test series against the Pakistan, though they did lost them for the two twenty twenty’s and the three ODI’s between the December and 2013 and January 2013.

The incident happened the week after the activists belonging to the Shiv Sena a junior party in a ruling coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Maharashtra state government and attacked Sudheendra Kulkarni who have organized the book launch in the Mumbai for the former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri.

The group was also accused of being have used the threats to force the Cancellation of an appearance in the Mumbai by the Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali.

Shiv Sena who was a hard line outfit founded by the late Bal Thackeray, has in the past threatened Pakistani athletes to deter them from the engagement in any competitive sports in the India.

The hard liner party has called for the concert’s cancellation saying that, “We can’t have cultural ties with Pakistan when they kill our soldiers.”